


Rogue Rifts

by Vagoinamyte69



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 08:26:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15681690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vagoinamyte69/pseuds/Vagoinamyte69
Summary: There’s a hole in the sky, and people’s lives are at stake. The Divine is dead, so the obvious way to point fingers is at the only person to survive the conclave.A rogue woman traveller is ripped out of her training and thrown into the role of the Inquisitor. The only difference between life and death is the mark on her hand.Between battling with demons in the field and in her head, will she find her true calling and open up to the new ‘family’ she never had?





	1. Chapter 1

“Where is she? That girl is never where I need her!” Cassandra said with an exasperated sigh.

She walked through the Chantry in Haven, her brow furrowed as she thought of the places Evelyn could be. 

“Have you checked the stables?” Josephine asked. “Since Horsemaster Dennett joined us, she’s taken a special interest in the horses.” 

“I will check there.” Cassandra replied. “Get everyone to the war room. I’ll be back momentarily.” 

Cassandra walked out the doors into the cool air. She looked at everything they had accomplished over the last month. The tents were filled with people seeking refugee from the chaos of the land. 

Her eyes also constantly wandered to the rift in the sky. The large green rip in the abyss almost seemed to be looking back. Taunting her. She scowled at the rift and kept walking. She needed to find Evelyn. That girl was always missing. 

Cassandra still had a hard time trusting her, as much as she wanted to. They had met in less than ideal terms when Evelyn was accused of killing the Divine. 

Evelyn kept to herself and was very quiet. The girl in question was still shrouded in mystery. No one knew what happened that day, or how she walked out with nothing but the anchor. She was just there at the time. 

Cassandra had seen her talents in the field with her daggers. She was almost explosive. Calm and calculated one moment, and lost in a fury of blades and subterfuge in the next. 

Cassandra had asked her question after question, being received with short answers that left her wondering more than she initially had.

All she knew was that Evelyn was a Trevelyan.

She was broken from her thoughts by Varrics voice.

”Hey Cassandra!” He shouted. The dwarf was sitting on a log in front of the fire by his tent. “You look like you’re wound tighter than normal”.

”We need to hold a council meeting and I can’t find Evelyn.” 

“Oh. All business and no pleasure for you.”

”We don’t have time for pleasure Varric.” She snapped. “Maybe if you realized that, you would take this more seriously.” She scowled again. 

“I do take this seriously.” He replied. “If we all scowled all the time, this place wouldn’t really be a Haven, now would it?” 

Cassandra ignored his remark and kept walking towards the gates. 

“She’s at the stables!” He yelled. “ And stop scowling! One of these days your face is going to stay like that!”

’That man is going to be the death of me’, she thought. 

Sure enough, she made her way through the gate and saw Evelyn in the stable grooming the horses with Dennett. 

“Evelyn!” Cassandra called out.

Evelyn turned from what she was doing and gave Cassandra a small smile and a wave. 

“The beasts can wait. You’re needed in the council room.”

Evelyn turned back to the horse she was grooming and whispered in its ear. 

“I was afraid of that.” She said quietly. “I’ll be back to finish as soon as we’re done.” 

She gave the horses soft muzzle a stroke and put down her brush.

“What can I do for you, Cassandra?” She asked, striding towards her. 

“We need to discuss Val Royeaux.” Cassandra replied. “We need to decide on a course of action. We’ve been going back and forth on this for too long.” 

“Of course.” Evelyn agreed. 

Evelyn followed Cassandra towards the gate. She knew Cassandra meant business. 

She hated council meetings. All of this responsibility was thrown at her with little choice on her behalf. She wanted to do the right thing, but she was still unsure of her place in the Inquisition. Still unsure of her strengths and how much she could actually bring to the table. Still unsure if she was actually ‘The Herald Of Andraste’. 

When they approached the gate, The Commander was leaving the training grounds, heading to the war room. 

“Commander,” Cassandra greeted him. 

“Seeker Penteghast. Herald.” He said with a nod. 

She felt the most uncomfortable around Cullen. There was no way to read him, other than he was uncomfortable around her too. 

He was a strong, silent man. Always wearing his fur lined armour and standing proud. He had been kind enough to her the day they met, but in most cases he avoided her. 

She was awkward to begin with, but the nervous jokes and sarcasm didn’t help. Once or twice she had seen Cullen stifle a smile, but that was the extent.

Did he ever laugh? 

As they walked back towards the Chantry she stared at the Glowing green scar across her hand. The only evidence from the day the Divine died. 

Cassandra looked back from her conversation with Cullen and fell back to speak with Evelyn. 

“Does it trouble you?” She asked, gesturing to the mark. 

“If it wasn’t enough to close the breach, what good is it?” Evelyn replied. 

She was told she was able to seal the breach with the anchor, but had failed. She was still figuring out how to use it, but was able to successfully close small rifts across the Hinterlands. It was a start. 

”You did everything we asked of you.” Cullen replied.

 She hadn’t noticed he had stopped a few feet away from her and Cassandra and was listening.

 “It still didn’t work.”

”What’s important is the mark is now stable.” Cassandra’s face had softened as she spoke. “You’ve given us time. And Solas says a second attempt might succeed. Provided the mark has more power. The same level of power used to open the breach in the first place. That is not easy to come by.” 

“What harm could there be in powering up something we barely understand?” Evelyn scoffed.

”Hold onto that sense of humour.” Cassandra replied, a smile playing on her lips. 

 They opened small door to the war room. It was a dimly lit stone room with a table and map in the centre. Small metal pieces littered the table. Josephine, The Inquisitions ambassador, was standing ever ready with her parchment and pen, and Lileana was pointing to places while Josephine jotted down her words. 

Cassandra, Evelyn and Cullen took their places around the table. 

“I see you located her.” Lileana remarked. 

“Yes. She was at the stables, as you said.” Cassandra replied. 

“Never distrust our spymaster.” Josephine added with a smile.

“Anyways,” Cassandra said, changing the subject.

Evelyn didn’t know much about Cassandra, but she knew she didn’t like not being in control at all times. It suited The Seeker. She was always down to business.

”I was just saying, we need to get more power to the mark to seal the breach for good.” 

“Then we should approach the rebel mages for help.” Lileana said.

”And I still disagree.” Cullen replied. “The templars could serve just as well.” 

“We need power Commander. Enough magic poured into that mark-“ 

”Might destroy us all. Templars could suppress the breach, weaken it so”

”Pure speculation.” Lileana interrupted. 

“I was a Templar. I know what they’re capable of.” 

“After the incident in Val Royeaux, we need a solid idea. Atleast now we have something to work with on both sides.” Evelyn said, breaking up their back and forth. “This arguing is getting us nowhere.”

“What do you suppose we do Herald?” Lileana asked.

Everyone in the room looked at Evelyn, waiting to hear her answer. 

She looked at her council, taking in their opinions and forming her own. She ran her hands through her dark brown hair, pulling it back into a ponytail revealing the shaved sides. After a moment she let out a breath. 

“I think we should contact the Templars. Although Leliana and Josephine make excellent points, I  am inclined to agree with The Seeker and Commander.”

”We must approach the lord Seeker in Therinfall Redoubt. Convince him to bring the Templars out of exile.” Said Cassandra. “If we present a plan to seal the breach, the templars may ally with us.” 

“First we must prove ourselves the more attractive prospect.” Lileana added. 

Josephine spoke up. If there was one thing she was well versed in, it was nobles.

”If it’s status the Lord Seeker seeks, The Inquisition will approach him after allying with the noblest houses in Orlais. They’ll come with us to therinfall and demand the Templars help close the breach.” 

“You believe that will work?” Evelyn asked.

”Even the lord Seeker will find it difficult to ignore so many nobles on his doorstep.” Cassandra added. 

Leliana gave Cassandra a smile of approval.

“Yes, especially when lead by the Herald of Andraste.”

Cullen’s face twisted to a scowl.

 “With respect, after his appearance in Val Royeaux, hang What the lord Seeker thinks.”

That was the first time Evelyn had ever heard him say anything of an insubordinate nature. It was out of his character to say anything negative about The Templars, no less their leader. Then again, he wasn’t a Templar anymore. He was the Commander of The Inquisition. 

”We do not need the lord Seeker. We need his Templars, with or without his approval. The breach will not wait for our differences to settle.” Cassandra agreed.

”Then it’s settled. Josephine, you do what you need to do to get us contact with as many nobles as you can. When we have their support, we can go from there.”

”Yes, lady Herald. I’ll send word at once.” Said Josephine, now writing like a madwoman. You could see the wheels turning in her head. 

”Excellent.” She said. “I’ll ready myself. Let me know when we have our support and what I need to do.”

”Of course, Herald.”

“Now if you’ll excuse me.” 

She turned and walked out of the room and through the Chantry. She pushed open the doors and the bright sun shone on her, blinding her momentarily. 

She rubbed the bridge of her nose as she headed towards the gate. The war room always gave her headaches. The stress of responsibility, and the unknown weighed heavily on her mind. 

As she came up to the stables a smile grew on her face. She grabbed a saddle and threw it on the horse she had previously been grooming.  Evelyn put her foot in the stirrup and pulled herself up. 

She pulled the reins and turned the horse around, galloping off down the road. She thought of nothing but the movement of the horse under her and the wind whipping her face. She rejoiced in these rides, and the horses did too. Her mind always felt clearer after ride. It was her escape when she was at home. Her moment to get away from her family and the expectations. 

She rode up the road and across the field to the other side of the lake. Evelyn pulled the horse up next to the water and dismounted. She lead with the reins to the edge of and the horse happily drank.

Looking into the water, she scooped some up herself and had a drink, then wiped her face. Her mind that was empty from the ride was now filling up with the events from the war room.

 

She stayed out there for hours, mulling the plans over and over again in her mind. She was throwing a dagger at a stump, which was now reduced to roots and mulch. 

“Should we get back, girl?” She asked the horse, stroking its mane and neck. She pulled herself back up on the horse and took a slower route back to Haven. 

When she returned to the stables she resumed her earlier grooming. Taking the time to miticulously brush the dust off of the horse. 

The sun was starting to go down and her stomach was growling. With her mind elsewhere she had completely forgotten about eating. She put the brush down and gave the horse a carrot, fresh water and one more thank you for the ride.  

She headed toward the gate, her head clear. As she was about to walk up the steps she saw Cullen out of the corner of her eye, ever vigilant, training his new recruits. 

In the training grounds he stood strong and confident. His back straight, his chest out, and his hand rested on the pommel of the sword on his side. There wasn’t any doubt why he was a commander. 

He was yelling orders at someone and barely noticed her walk up. He did a double take as she approached him. 

“Commander.” She greeted. “May I speak with you?” She asked.

“Of course Lady Herald” he replied.

 “How are the new recruits?” She asked, trying to break the ice. 

“We’re getting more and more everyday. Locals from Haven, and some pilgrims. None made quite the entrance you did.” 

She didn’t know if that was a joke, or a snide remark. He was so hard to read.

”Well I’m glad I’m making an impression then.” 

“You continue to.” 

“I just hope I can help.”

 “As do we all. It’s enough that you would try. I know you don’t take this responsibility lightly. This is a stressful time for all of us. Always work to be done.” 

“I’m still getting used to this.” She said, gesturing to everything around her. “I’m not used to working -er- leading, a group.”

”I can understand that.” He replied. “But we need you. And we trust your judgement. You’ve brought us this far.”

”It wasn’t exactly a choice. Or more that I had few choices.” 

“We all have a choice. You did have a choice, and I have faith that you will continue to make the right choices, whatever they may be.” 

She looked at his amber eyes and she saw sincerity. It was a different pace from the awkward commander she had known. 

“So what was your choice? How did you end up here?”

“I was recruited to the inquisition in Kirkwall. I was there during the mage uprising. I saw first hand the devastation it caused. Cassandra saught a solution. When she offered me a position, I left the templars to join her cause. And now it seems we face something far worse.” 

“I must have this mark for a reason. It will work.” 

“Provided we can secure aide. And I’m confident we can.” 

“So you really think the templars are the way to go?” 

“If you need insight on what the order is doing now, I’m afraid I can’t offer more than you already know. Anything else, I will answer as best as I can. But yes, I really do think they’re our best chance.”

”Thank you Commander. I appreciate your input.” She said with a warm smile. “I’ll let you get back to your training.”

“Lady Herald,” he said with a bow, excusing himself back to his recruits. 

She walked away feeling like she had made some progress with Cullen. That was the longest conversation they had shared together outside of the war room. 

She headed back up to the gate to go to her quarters, where she had hoped food and rest would be in her itinerary. 

Entering her room she noticed on the table was a plate of food and a bottle of wine waiting for her with a note. 

-Herald

Didnt want you to starve to death on us. I also thought you might enjoy a bottle of my finest home brewed wine. 

-Varric

 She put the note back on the table and smiled. She had missed having a drink, and with nothing to do now but wait, she could finally have some and unwind.

I will have to thank Varric, she thought. The one friend she had who just treated her like a person. Not just the Herald. 

Evelyn removed her gloves and daggers, placing them on the table before sitting and removing her boots. The leather straps kept the boots tight up to her knees, and it was a relief to peel them off and let her sore feet have some breathing room. 

She opened the bottle and poured some of the wine into her goblet and took a sip. It was bitter and made her face scrunch up, but it was Varrics thought that counted.

She picked up her fork and began eating the various delicious things on her plate. The meat was succulent, albeit, cold. It appeared it had been placed there’s long before she showed up. The potatoes were roasted to perfection with various herbs and spices. The gravy was starting to congeal, but was still delicious. She used her bread to wipe the last of the food off of her plate, and sat back in satisfaction. 

Eating was always took a backseat to the other responsibilities of being the Herald, so she was happy that when she did eat, the food was made by excellent cooks. 

She took off her hunter armour and pulled her most comfortable tunic made of fennec, getting ready to wind down for the night and get some rest when she heard a knock at the door. 

She walked past the table and grabbed her goblet of wine, taking another bitter sip before opening the door. 

A scout was standing in the dark holding a lantern, simultaneously struggling to keep a grip on several scrolls. 

“I’m sorry to bother you Lady Herald,” she apologized.

”Don’t be. I’m not bothered.” Evelyn replied. “What can I do for you? Is everything alright?” 

“Yes, Of course my lady.” The scout assured. “I was told to let you know the letters have been sent. We should hear from the noble houses within the next few days. In the meantime, preparations need to be made.” 

“Preparations?” Evelyn asked.

”Yes, Lady Herald. Here’s a list of things you must begin packing.” She replied, handing Evelyn one of the scrolls. 

“Also, the commander would like you to meet him at the blacksmith tomorrow after your morning ride.” 

“That’s strange.” Evelyn said, raising her eyebrow. “I just spoke with the Commander when he was training. Why didn’t he say that then?”

”I’m sorry Herald, I’m not sure. I was just told to come and tell you.”

“Oh. It’s okay, is there anything else?”

”Nothing else for now. Is there anything I can do for you Herald?” 

“No thank you.” She replied with a warm smile.

”Then enjoy your night my lady.” The scout said, bowing and running off to her next assignment. 

Evelyn closed the door and walked back towards her bed with the list in her hand which she placed on her bedside table. She crawled into the bed that had been calling her name since she went home, and curled up under the blanket. 

She laid there preparing her thoughts for the days to come and thought back to what the scout had said.

Why didn’t the Commander say  anything to me? What could this be about? She wondered. She would have to find out tomorrow. 

She closed her eyes and before she knew it she was asleep. The day had been long and she was exhausted. From that day. That week. That month. The rifts and the breach. The Templars and Mages. 

From the day this all started at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. 


	2. Chapter 2

With the last of her things packed, she sat down on the chair to put her boots on. She slid her foot in the boot and pulled the leather straps as tight as she could, fastening them on the front. As much as she hated them being tight sometimes, she was happy they were made of soft leather and acted as a second skin. They weren’t cumbersome and made moving and running a breeze. 

She slid on her hunter coat, a dark, thin, leather that was similarly light as her boots were. 

Evelyn read through the scroll once more, assuring she had packed everything that was necessary for their trip. Packing had helped keep her thoughts from wandering to the Commander. She was nervous as to what he wanted to speak with her about. He tried his best to avoid her unless he absolutely had to speak with her. 

This must be about the mission, she thought. 

A small butterfly was fluttering around in her stomach, making her feel uneasy. 

Evelyn buckled her coat as she walked to the door. As soon as she opened it, a cold gust of wind blew through her, nipping at her face and hands. Most days weren’t too bad, but today there was an icy wind blowing down from the mountains, chilling everything it touched despite the sun shining warmly. 

She walked down the pathway to the gate, her heart beating faster as her breaths became quick and shallow. The snow crunched beneath her boots as she picked up the pace. 

As she approached the smith, she could see Commander Cullen standing outside. The same stance he always had surveying the landscape. 

“Are you not cold, Commander?” She asked, running the short distance between them to stand under the overhang of the smith. 

“No, Lady Herald .” He replied. “I’ve been to much colder places in my travels. Training and armour keep the cold at bay as well.”

”I would imagine as much.” She replied with a smile. “You wanted to see me?”

”Forgive me, I won’t keep you out here for long.” He said, gesturing for her to follow him.

They walked together into the forge where they were greeted by Harriet the blacksmith with a head nod. Cullen returned the greeting and turned to Evelyn.

“With plans to meet with the lord Seeker, we need to be prepared for anything. Out in the field some of the officers have alerted me to the... state of your weapons.” He said, choosing his words carefully. 

“The state of my daggers?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“If you can call those rusted cheese knives daggers.” He replied with a serious tone. 

Her mouth was agape. 

“Was that your attempt at a joke Commander?” She asked with a shocked smile. 

“Well, um... yes, I suppose it was.” He replied. His cheeks were flushed scarlet and he rubbed his hand on the back of his neck before clearing his throat.

“Forgive my lack of professional decorum. I just meant that I wouldn’t expect my recruits to train against dummies with weapons in that condition, so I had some new ones requisitioned for you.” 

“Oh, that really wasn’t necessary Commander.” She implored. 

“I did not intend to offend Lady Herald. I’m sure your daggers have seen you through, but we need our Herald to be able to protect herself to the fullest extent.” 

He turned around to the table behind him and removed the cloth that was covering it. Beneath was two exquisite black dual blade daggers. The grip was wrapped in a tight black leather and bejeweled in white stones. A far cry from the sorry daggers she had brought with her. 

Her eyes looked over every piece of the magnificent work before her. 

“They’re beautiful, Cullen.” She barely got out. 

“Yes, they are fine pieces. What matters is if they work.” He picked up the daggers and held them out for her to take. “You must test them. Let Harriet know if they need adjustments.”

She took the blades from Cullen’s hands and held them horizontally over her open palms. They were surprisingly light for being a foot and a half long.

“What are they made of?” She asked.

”Obsidian.” The Commander replied. 

She grasped her hands around the grips, giving them several squeezes to make sure her fingers fit in the grooves properly. 

She spun the daggers over her fingers, maneuvering the grip and blades over her hands, and back into their original position. 

Cullen was standing with his hands behind his back, watching Evelyn manipulate her new weapons. A small grin on his lips, proud of what he had done. 

“How do they feel?” He asked.

”Like air.” She replied with wonderment. 

“Time to test out the blades.” 

He lead her out of the forge and to the training grounds. She barely noticed anything because she was in awe of her new daggers.

”Go ahead.” He said, gesturing to the dummy. 

She held the daggers in her hands and gripped them firmly. She assumed her stance, bending her knees low and turning the side of her body to face the mannequin. She gave the dagger a toss in the air before grabbing it and throwing it full force at the dummy’s head, sending splinters flying and leaving the face split down the middle. 

She let out her breath and smiled.

The group of recruits who were training around her started clapping at her display.

She turned and looked at Cullen, who was watching her, still looking proud. It seemed around his recruits he stood taller, more controlled, always with his hand on the pommel of his sword.

“They’re wonderful, Commander.” She said. 

“I’m glad they’re to your liking Herald.” He replied. 

“Thank you.” She said, putting her hand on his arm. She could feel him tense up, even through his armour. 

He just stared back at her dark eyes before clearing his throat.

”Ahem. Yes, I wanted to be sure our Herald was armed properly. If there’s any issues be sure to see Harriet. In the meantime, I’m sure you have lots of other business to attend to.” He said, giving her a small bow and scurrying back to his recruits as cooly as he could manage. 

That was strange, she thought. Did I do something wrong?

She pulled her dagger from the wood, holstered them both to her back and walked back through the gate. She was still in awe of her new blades when she saw Varric sitting outside of his tent, writing on some parchment. 

“Varric,” She said as she approached him. “I wanted to thank you for the er, wine.”

He looked up from his writing and gave her a smile.

“No problem. You seemed like you needed it. Been out riding more often lately.”

“It helped. Kind of. I thought you said it was your finest wine though?” She ribbed.

”I did, and it is! I didn’t say it was the finest Orlaisian wine. But it will get you where you need to go.” 

“Well, either way it was a nice gesture. May I sit?” She asked, pointing to the log he was sitting on. 

“Of course, anything for the Herald.” He said giving her a coy smile as he moved over. 

She rolled her eyes at that remark and sat down with him.

“Please, I would prefer just Evelyn.” 

“Oh? Okay Evelyn. Herald not working for ya?”

”It gets a bit much. Everyone calls me Herald. I’m almost starting to forget what my real name is.”

”Okay. From now on I’ll make sure to call you Evelyn.” He promised. 

”Thank you. What are you working on?” She said, leaning over to look at his parchment. 

“Hey, hey. No sneak peeks.” He said, covering his hand over his writing. “Ah, What the hell. I guess if anyone could see, it could be the Herald.” He said with a wink. 

She squinted her eyes and pursed her lips at him.

“Thank you.” She said dryly with a smile, taking the parchment from him. 

She read what Varric had written, and it was impressive.

”It’s very good, Varric.” She said, handing the parchment back to him.

”I hope it is. I’m a published author.” He replied with a grin.

”You are?”

”Yeah. Ever heard of ‘Hard in Hightown’? It’s my best seller.”

She shook her head. “No. Back home we weren’t allowed to read anything that wasn’t for education.” 

“Hold on then.” He said, waking to his tent. He disappeared into it and returned a moment later with a book. 

“Here. I’ll even sign it for you too.” He said, dabbing the tip of the pen on his tongue and scrawling his signature inside the front cover. 

She took the book and dramatically clutched it to her chest. “I’ll treasure it forever.” She grinned. 

“You should get on reading it. Maybe fix this whole thing between you and Curly.” He said, wiggling his fingers at her. 

“Curly?”

”The Commander.”

”What do you mean this whole thing between us?” Her face was curious. 

“I see you got new daggers.”

”Dont change the subject!” 

“I’m not changing the subject. He’s been talking about them for a week and a half now. Basically worked Harriet like a dog to get those finished. Paid a lot of coin for them too.” 

“What!? How do you know?” She asked. 

”Leliana isn’t the only one around here who knows what’s going on.” He said with a smug smile. 

“Why wouldn’t he tell me that?” She inquired. 

“Because he’s Curly. He’s a closed off, stubborn ox. An awkward stubborn ox. He’s charming in the ‘I don’t know it’ kind of way.” 

Varric stood up and grabbed more logs to throw on his fire. 

“Keep up whatever you’re doing. It’s good material.” He said, casually tossing in a log. 

“Good material?”

”For my books.”

She gave him a grin and stood up. 

“I’m done with this conversation, Varric.” 

She stood up with her new gifts and walked away, chuckling to herself about what Varric had said. 

“See you later, Evelyn. Enjoy you’re reading. Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll read a book that feels oddly familiar.”

She sauntered away from Varric with a smile on her face. That dwarf likes to talk and joke, so maybe he wasn’t serious. Although she had felt something between her and the Commander, she couldn’t say what it was, positive or negative. Most times he just seemed uncomfortable at best around her. The only time he ever seemed confident or comfortable with her was around the war table at council meetings. He was more in his element there though. 

She went into her cabin and laid down on her bed, deciding to crack open her new book and start reading. The wait for word from the nobles was excruciating. Atleast now she had new ways to occupy her time until they received word. 

———————————————

 

Several days had passed before they heard anything back from the Nobles they had reached out to. Most had offered their support, a few denied, and a couple just didn’t respond. 

“Do you feel we have enough support, Josephine?” Asked Evelyn. 

Josephine looked through the papers on her clipboard before smiling. 

“Yes, I believe we do Lady Herald. Several noble Orlesian houses will petition the Templars to help us stop the breach.” 

”Excellent.”

”Lord Abernache will approach you. Sign nothing he offers, but his gossip is reliable.” Josephine warned. 

“I hope he knows the Lord Seekers mood. The Templars will never help without his consent.” Leliana added. 

 

They left the war room to start immediate preparations to leave for Therinfall Redoubt when Evelyn and Cullen reached the door at the same time. He held open the door for her, awkwardly avoiding eye contact. 

She had noticed even more than usual that Cullen had thrown himself into training. Perhaps it was because of her, or it could have been because he wanted to be prepared. Either way, she felt it best to just give him space and not bring up the daggers any further. She had thanked him once more in passing for the gift, but he seemed almost uncomfortable being thanked for them.  

“Thank you.” She said, avoiding his gaze as well and walking through the Chantry. 

As she walked back to her cabin she noticed everyone in Haven seemed to be running around making their own preparations. She appreciated everyone’s hard work that this mission was going to take.

 Shortly after she arrived at her quarters, a scout knocked on the door and informed her that he was there to pick up her things. 

“Oh! Don’t worry about that, I’ve got it.” She said, grabbing the handles of her trunk and failing to lift it. “On second thought, I might need your help.”

”Of course, lady Herald!” The scout said and scrambled to help her lift the trunk. 

They each grabbed one end handle and lifted it with relative ease. 

She lead the scout and trunk to the door, opening it and holding the door open with her hip. They carefully carried the trunk down the path to the gates, slowly trudging through the fresh snow. Another scout held open the gate for them and they carefully made their way down the stairs, taking care to avoid the ice.

They had reached the bottom step when she stepped on a patch of ice she didn’t see, sending her falling onto her back. The trunk hit the ground, cracking open and spilling its contents. 

“Lady Herald!” The scout gasped.

As fast as she was on the ground she was being jerked up and placed back on her feet. 

“Herald, are you alright? You’re not hurt are you?” Cullen asked. 

She opened her eyes and she was face to face with the Commander. His face filled with worry. A new mask she had yet to see him wear. He had his hand firmly on her upper arm and was holding her in place.

“Yes, Commander. I’m fine, just a little embarrassed.” She replied, squinting her eyes and rubbing the back of her head that had hit the ground. She could feel her face turning red. 

The scout just stood there looking terrified in concern. 

Cullen turned to the scout and shot him a look of disapproval. 

“Pick this up.” He ordered pointing to the ground, and the scout began scrambling to pick up the various items that tumbled out of the trunk. 

She bent down and began picking up her scattered clothing when Cullen stopped her. 

“No, lady Herald, I implore you to come with me to see a healer.”

”a healer? No, really Commander, I’m fine.” She said, continuing to grab her articles. 

”You hit your head. We need to make sure you didn’t suffer a head injury.” 

“Really, it’s no-“

”Evelyn.” He plead. He grabbed her arms and stopped her from picking things up. “I wouldn’t feel right sending you out without getting it checked.” 

She thought for a minute before agreeing. Cullen took the bundle of clothes out of her hands and handed them to the scout. 

“It will only take a moment for peace of mind.” 

They turned and headed back up the stairs. He was holding her arm, ensuring she wouldn’t slip again. They got to the top of the stairs and through the gate when she told him she would be fine. 

“Are you sure you’re steady?” He asked, reluctantly releasing her arm. 

“Yes, I’m sure.” She replied, showing him she could stand steadily without assistance. 

Suddenly she started wobbling, trying to gain her balance. Cullen’s eyes went wide and he grabbed her arm before she started laughing. 

“I’m kidding!” She laughed. “I really am fine.” 

“Makers breath.” 

“You need to relax. You’re so serious all the time.” She said, regaining her balance and walking away from him. 

He gave her a small smile. Even he couldn’t deny that he was tightly wound. He followed her up to the healer, still silently making sure she didn’t hurt herself again. 

When they walked in the building, the elven healer was standing at a table bottling a concoction he had just boiled.

“Hello Commander. Herald. What can I assist you with today?”

”The herald slipped on some ice and hit her head. We just wanted to make sure she was un injured.”

”Have a seat then and we’ll make sure you’re alright.” He said, pointing to the chair in the middle of the room. 

Evelyn took her place in the chair and the healer parted her hair and checked her head. After a moment of examining her head and neck, he finished his exam. 

“Everything seems to be in order. You should be fine.” 

“I told you.” She said with a smile. 

“And it didn’t take long, as I told you. Now we know.” 

“Thank you, but I need to be going. We can’t waste any more time. We need to get on the road if we are to be meeting with the Lord Seeker.” She said, standing and walking quickly out the door. 

”Fifteen minutes wont make a difference.” Said Cullen, following her path. Even with her hurried steps, he seemed to be able to keep up with long strides. 

”Well, the Commander does have some leeway I see.” She said, giving him a playful smile. 

“For injured parties, yes.” He said, matter of factly.

”but I wasn’t injured.” 

“We didn’t know that.”

”Okay, can we just agree to disagree? It seems neither of us are going to back down.”

”I suppose you’re right.” He said as they reached the gate. 

“Thank you anyways Commander. I appreciate the concern.” 

“No trouble at all, Herald.” He said, turning and walking towards his own tent. 

She started to walk away when she heard him speaking again. 

“Although, I was right.” He said and kept walking before she could respond. 

Evelyn smiled to herself. He was coming around. Slowly, but it was still progress.

She continued to the stables, still rubbing the sore spot on her head. Cassandra was helping the scouts pack their belongings into carriages. 

“We have a horse ready for you. The others will be here momentarily and we can leave.” She said.

Evelyn mounted her horse with ease as always, and gave her steed a pat on its mane. When Cassandra finished commanding people around, she ungracefully mounted her own horse. 

“I should have taken the carriage..” she mumbled to herself. 

“Don’t like riding?” Evelyn asked, watching Cassandra fumble to grab her reins.

”It is not ideal.” She said with purses lips, trying but failing to get her horse to go.

”Move you stubborn beast! I command you!” She said with a stern look. 

Evelyn turned on her horse to see Cassandra’s eating grass, completely ignoring what she was saying. 

“You can’t command him Cassandra. Just give your heels a squeeze and pull up on the reins. Show him who’s boss.” 

Cassandra followed her instructions and the horse started moving. Evelyn waited for her to catch up and rode with her. She gave detailed plans of where they were stopping, and what their plan was for the lord Seeker. It seemed to keep her mind off of riding, which she clearly didn’t enjoy as much as Evelyn did. 

The journey would be long, but atleast they would be prepared for whatever the Lord Seeker had planned.  

 

 


End file.
